Taiwan

A military defeat forced China to cede Taiwan to Japan in 1895, but it fell back under
Chinese control after World War II. After the Communists' victory on the mainland in 1949,
2 million nationalists fled to Taiwan and established a government based on the constitution
drafted for all of China in 1947.

Over the next five decades, the country democratized. Throughout this period, the island has
prospered to become one of the four economic Asian Tigers. The dominant political issue
continues to be the relationship between Taiwan (ROC) and China (PRC) and the question of
possible reunification.

According to U.S. State Department, the United States and Taiwan enjoy a robust unofficial
relationship. The 1979 U.S.-P.R.C. Joint Communique switched diplomatic recognition from
Taipei to Beijing. The United States does not support Taiwan's independence, but 'the 1979
Taiwan Relations Act provides the legal basis for the unofficial relationship between the
United States and Taiwan and enshrines the U.S. commitment to assist Taiwan in maintaining
its defensive capability. [U.S. Congress]

Is Taiwan a country?

Yes and no. According to the Montevideo Convention, there are four basic requirements for
statehood, a defined territory, a permanent population, a functioning government and the
capacity to conduct international relations.

Taiwan definitely has a defined area, large enough for being a country. It also has a
considerable permanent population and, the island has a functioning government, even a
democratic one. Taiwan's problem is the fourth requirement for statehood - the capacity to
conduct international relations.
At Beijing's insistence, Taiwan has been excluded from almost all international organizations.
The country competes as "Chinese Taipei" at the Olympic Games. The Republic of China
(Taiwan) is not a member of the United Nations and its related organizations. Only some
countries recognize the government of the Republic of China or maintain some formal
diplomatic relations with it. The Taiwanese government states that the ROC has diplomatic
relations with 15 countries and substantive ties with others such as Australia, Canada, EU
nations, Japan, New Zealand and the United States.